I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I’ve updated this blog! Talk about life just perpetually getting in the way. Quite frankly, between finishing school (and starting school again), getting a new job, and then a huge promotion, art just fell to the wayside. It happens sometimes, but I think I’m back in the saddle and heading out of the chute with a bang! Just check out what I did!

As most know, Kristin, who is the owner of Retro Cafe Art Gallery, designs THE BEST kits on the market. Her latest stroke of genius are these fenced cottages which are meant to store ATCs and Artist Trading Coins. Of course, you can use them for whatever you want. I have plans for this one but need that perfect accent to finish the fenced yard off.

I absolutely LOVE Japanese and Asian art styles and living here in Okinawa just adds reinforcement to that love. I’ve been hoarding Graphic45’s "Bird Song” collection since it debuted several years ago. When I saw these cottages for the first time, I ran upstairs, pulled it out of the drawer, blew the dust off, and began hacking into it with a frenzy. I knew exactly how I wanted this darling to look.

As the pieces came together and the details were beginning to work themselves in my mind, I had a nagging thought. I had NO idea what I was going to do with the fence and the roof. I could see what I wanted to do, but Lord knows, I am quite the opposite of a “fine art” sculptor. Instead, I decided to do what I do best. WING IT!

For the fence, I dug into my embossing powder stash. At first, I just had this mossy green layer on the fence. “Too bold and clean,” I thought to myself. More rummaging ensued and I remembered this lovely brownstone inspired powder I had and had not used in aaaaaages. Layering that on top of the mossy green was perfection!

The best part of putting this together is figuring out the details. Those little details are crucial in making a piece unique. Imagination is the only requirement! And perhaps a stash of leftover resin “pours.” This Sakura is one such piece. I had used resin for something and poured the leftover resin into one of my most favorite flower moulds.

The gold accenting on the Sakura (courtesy of Inka Gold) ties in the embossed red and gold porthole frame.

Now it was time to handle that pesky roof! Initially, I wanted to replicate the traditional Japanese tile roof. The easiest way to do something like that is to roll out “tubes” of clay and place them side by side all snuggly and close together. I used Aves Apoxie Sculpt because it has an adhesive property that makes gluing unnecessary.

The roof trim along the top was embossed to match the porthole frames. Back to the clay! I used some tools to make grooves on the tubes and seams between them. Unpainted, they could be tiles or even resemble bamboo. I considered going the bamboo route but thought it wouldn’t go very well with all of the glitz I had on the cottage body.

Instead, I went with my original inspiration source, Japanese roof tiles. Modern houses have black tiles and wouldn’t you know?! I had plenty of black paint. After a layer of gesso, black paint was brushed on using a wet brush.

Breaking out my trusty Inka Gold and my fingers, brushing the ink onto the black paint helped to tone down the stark contrast the black brought to the rest of the piece. It also helped to accent the general stylization with the Asian patterns, gold trims, and overall “feel.”

And of course, baby got back! Can’t have a 3D piece and not do the back!

Yes! The roof has been blown off this joint! Well, mostly because you can use these cottages to store other items like paintbrushes, makeup brushes, chopsticks, or anything else tall.

Any how, thank you for stopping in and checking out my latest endeavor. There is much, much more to come!

I have only done one other dream catcher so when a friend of mine requested one for her mom, I jumped at the chance to make another. I had the itch to make one anyway.
The concept behind this particular dream catcher was a tattoo she and her sister both had done. Since her mom doesn't do tattoos, an actual dream catcher was in order.

So her mom's home decor is inspired by Southwestern motif. I wanted to keep colors neutral, true to the spirit of the theme but have the same elements as the tattoo.

The dream catcher tattoo consisted of one prime catcher with three smaller catchers attached below.

The catchers are wrapped in suede cording and the weave is done with waxed cotton twine. Because I have a large stash of beads, it was easy to accent the weave and the butterflies. I prefer to keep my catchers rustic and allow the knots where wrap cycles are ended and begun. I suppose you could consider it a signature of mine.

This time of year is always so wonderfully chaotic for everyone. For me, I've closed a major chapter in my life by finally finishing my Bachelor's degree. Now, I'm in the midst of applying for jobs and preparing for upcoming interviews. Throw all of that into the mix with holiday parties, volunteer work with my husband's unit, and taking care of household stuff, it doesn't leave much room for serious crafty time.
Thankfully, with the help of wonderful friends like my fellow Retro Cafe Art Gallery team members, I'm learning that bigger doesn't always mean better and that the small is just as beautiful. This ornament was put together in about an hour including the bead work (which I've gotten quite nimble with).

First, lay down a nice coat of gesso then go over it with Snow-Tex paste. If you don't have this wonderful faux snow paste, modeling paste is just as effective. While it's still wet, sprinkle some Glamour Dust or any other white or clear glitter you have lying around.

I like to add my embellishments while the paste is still wet so I can embed them slightly. It provides a nice stable base but it also lends a slightly more realistic depth with the paste creeping up the sides of your embellishments.

Add bead work. For mine, I used my usual needle technique and applied each bead one by one. You could also use gel medium and micro beads or even some velvet flocking. Frosty's dear face was also done with beads. They are glued down but I also smooshed them into the snow paste. Finally, just finish him off with some fancy buttons or beads and a bow for his scarf.

There is always something purely magical about handmade ornaments on a tree. Sure, the ease and convenience of beautiful store bought is appealing, especially to me as I am very busy all of the time it seems. But handmade just lends a genuine one of a kind look and always seem to stand out to me.
It's good thing Retro Cafe Art Gallery has a plethora of cut-outs and pieces to make any kind of ornament regardless of style! These little beauties are made from the Deer Mount cut-outs and are super easy to do.

Step 1: Paint your base. I used metallic acrylic paint and when it was dry, I stamped over the top with a funky cool filigree pattern.

Step 3: Add final touches. I used plain white dresden as my border. You could use twine, string, or even wire for the hanger but I opted for gold chain and jump rings.

This type of project is perfect for gift giving, ornament swaps, or even for use as gift tags. I worked in an assembly line fashion and not including drying time, these were done in about an hour! Can you believe that?!

Who doesn't love a splash of color, especially during this time of year? I know I'm a sucker for color, skulls, Fall, and anything Day of the Dead inspired. You know what else I am? I am a hoarder of all the cool things because I swear, at some time, **THE** perfect project will come along and I'll have just the perfect idea for it!

Such was the case for this wood skull, sent to me by my iBFF, Jess Mutty. She sent about a year or two ago and I've held onto it, just waiting for the "AHA!" moment to strike. And boy did it! Using one of the thicker canvases I had stashed away, I came up with this piece of decoration that just sings to me.

Take a flat, one dimensional wood cut and give it life by enhancing the features with rolled out Easy Sculpt clay and my signature bead work.

And just look at that vivid, lush color! That, my friends, is courtesy of the amazing ColoriQue inks by Lisa Jimenez. These inks are high impact, bold, bright, and absolutely blendable too!

I've used them on the clay detailing of the skull, but I've also used them on the Papel Picado from Retro Cafe Art Gallery. Just look at that blindingly beautiful pigmentation!

In all honesty, I could've also colored my metal milagros charms with the ColoriQue ink (because it's multipurpose as all get out!) as well, but they just looked marvelous in their bare, naked state. And yep! I've been hoarding those gems for a couple years too. ::wink::

Add in some colorful glass seed beads to finish off the framing and I can call this bad boy DONE, SON!

I admit it! I'm a sucker for pretty paper! The paper I used for this Halloween gem for Retro Cafe Art Gallery I have been holding on to for years. You see, I started out as a scrapbooker so I had built up this massive stash of paper. Fast forward a number of years and I realized that I am probably done with the scrapbooking arena and have my feet firmly planted in the realm of mixed media.

However, the urge to play with paper comes along every now and then and I have to dig through the very little paper I kept and put it to good use. This piece uses K & Company's "Que Sera Sera" paper pad.

One of my favorite things to do is to make the simple look complex and complicated. Jackolynn was constructed using the simplest of techniques. You'll be amazed.

Step 1: Grab that paper you've been hoarding and get ready to hack into it. Trace each piece and cut them out. Glue each cut piece to its substrate. See that file in the photo below? It is THE key to get nice, flush, and fresh edges.

Step 2: Use an ink pad to ink your edges. Ready for the mind blower? Embossing powder! Get your embossing pad and powders and go to town on those edges!

This is my monthly post for the wonderful Retro Cafe Art Gallery and while I usually do technical tutorials, I feel I need to do a different type of tutorial. This particular step by step serves as a reminder for me.

Often times, I get so wrapped around how big, grand, and detail oriented I feel my projects and creations must be, especially when I am representing another company or shop. After all, isn't that what my "claim to fame" is? Aren't my creations most noted for the amount of detail that goes into each piece?

The pressures I put on myself are stress-inducing and as a result, I often hit a road block that I can't seem to get over or through. What happens in the end is I sit down, get to work, and hate every second of it. Something that is suppose to be joyous and a release from the day to day turns into the day to day and a chore. The mojo flees. The creativity stagnates. The desire is extinguished.

Please. Sit back, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and just relax with me as I take you through my journey in simplicity.

It's important to remember where we started as crafters and artists. For me, it all started with a piece of pretty patterned paper and a photograph. While I no longer scrapbook, I do still have remnants of those deeply seeded roots. As such, it's only fitting that I use a piece of patterned paper as a starting point. Since I work in mixed media and I was focusing on more humble beginnings, collage seemed to be the way to go. Simple yet effective. On one side, I have this beautiful patterned paper, on the other, newsprint tissue paper.

Once my tiny shrine was assembled, I had to laugh as I sat down to add beads. I guess I can never truly let go of the smallest details. I came to understand that these tiny beads which are applied one by one with a needle and glue are very much a part of my art journey.

What this simple, tiny shrine has told me as it came to life is that detail may not be my problem. Size is. This teeny piece has taught me that even the smallest of projects and ideas can carry the same impact that larger pieces like my dolls and crowns do. And maybe it isn't necessarily about impact but more about heart. My heart, soul, and a lot of self reckoning went into this itty bitty darling but the vision it has blessed me with is much grander.

"Go big or go home" can be equally applicable to the smallest of undertakings. It's okay to keep things simple even if your idea of simple may be a bit different than what is literal. For me, "simple" means small. Details can still be big, like the beads and the jewelry finding tucked inside this shrine. But scale doesn't always have to be "bigger is better".

I have received quite a large number of requests on how I did the finish on my Crown of the Ocean.

Because of the response this piece received, I decided it's time to share just how simply this aged finish is to do. Keep in mind that I am not replicating this finish exactly. I am using a different crown base with different colors because this base will be used on my next crown. You'll have to stay tuned to see how it turns out!

Step 1: Coat crown base in gesso. I do this so that the paint that will be applied in the next step stays nice and vivid without absorbing the chipboard color.

Step 2: Apply acrylic paint with a sponge brush. I brush it on and then dab over it to give it a rough finish. It's also a great way to hide brush strokes that you don't want to be seen.

Step 3: Once the paint has dried, use a sponge brush and randomly dab the iron paint from the VerDay kit onto the base. Remember, perfection and precision are the enemy here.

Spray with patina spray and apply second coat according to product instructions. Once it has cured, about 4 hours, this is the finish you end up with.

Step 4: Be sure to carefully read the directions on the bottle of leafing adhesive. If it is applied incorrectly, your leafing will not stick properly and will flake off. Once your adhesive has dried for the requisite amount of time, stick the leafing on like you would do foiling. Again, precision is not the goal here. We want a random, muddled look that adds to the aged finish.

Step 5: Use a SOFT paintbrush and brush away the excess leafing and finish the edges. If you notice you have some hard edges in the leafing, simply scratch at it with your finger nail. I recommend using a cheap synthetic watercolor brush. A hard brush will remove the leafing.

Keep brushing the leaf and finishing the edges until you are happy with how it looks. You can also reapply the adhesive and leaf to cover any "holes" you may see.

Step 6: The easiest way to I have found to shape the crown without creasing it is with a heat tool. Gently heat up the chipboard bases from behind and slowing shape the crown until the ends connect. Take your time and be patient otherwise you will end up with creases.

Connect the crown pieces with the brads that are included and call it done!

The wonderful thing about this finish besides how simple it is to do is the crown could be considered complete at this point. It's such a beautiful and high impact look that any further embellishing is not necessary. However, if you're like me, more is more!

Hi everyone! I'm back today to share with you a project that was intended to go one direction, but in the end, took on a completely different idea as one idea failed and another proved to be fantastic! I wish I had taken photos of the mishaps that forged the road ahead for Gabriella, but alas. I did not. In all honesty, I think I was too frustrated to even think about grabbing my camera.

You see, at first, she was going to have the face of Frida, but since that idea fell apart, more like broke upon my floor (literally), I decided to go in a different direction instead.

I have had this beaded beauty in my cabinet for some time now, just waiting for the perfect piece to put it one. And talk about serendipity! If you have followed me for a while, these pieces are hand beaded one by one using a needle, glue, seed beads, and micro beads. Her "halo" is a piece of magic in itself.

I also wanted to try my hand at painting. Not just regular shading, full color type painting. Actual images in the vein of tole art painting. I knew Gabriella was going to have a mix of cultural infusions and I wanted the shrine to be of a Mexican folk art style.

The inside of the shrine is a very cool printable from Xquizart that simply enhanced the look I was going for.

Gabriella's heart is always at a low and hot smolder. Passion for life, even in death is her mantra.

Would you like to know the secrets in assembling this piece?

Step 1: I always prep my pieces with gesso simply because I almost always end up painting them.

Step 2: I used Sandra Evertson's "MUSE" stamps and stamped into Apoxie Sculpt. I cut the excess clay away and used them in other moulds. You notice the Frida face? Yeah, well, she broke when I dropped her, thus the change in direction. You can paint the pieces without the clay being dry. It's perfect for us impatient types.

Step 3: Draw your design onto your pieces. I used a pencil and then painted it in with acrylic paint.

Step 4: Trace panels onto paper. Cut and glue them to each piece.

Step 5: Highlight the flowers with a white pen and ink edges.

Step 6: For Gabriella's smoldering heart, paint a base coat of acrylic paint. Once it dries, apply a thick layer of Kroma Crackle that has been tinted with acrylic paint. Heat set it with a heat tool. This technique is one I learned from Michael DeMeng.

The Santos heart that serves as Gabriella's bodice was done using a faux Kintsugi effect which I demonstrated on Facebook. You can find the full video here.

I remember when Kristin first came out with this beautiful Escutcheon Plates. They were unique, simple, beautiful, and I had to have them. Buuuuuuuut I didn't know what I wanted to do with them. Until now.

I've recently developed a newfound love for dies and my kids got me this Tim Holtz butterfly die with coordinating embossing folders and I've never used it. Until now.

As many of you already know, I also love Relics & Artifacts and will continue using them when I can. Especially now.

You know what else makes me all sort of giddy? When friends come out with cool stuff to use. Like Lynne Moncrieff's stamps.

Would like to see how I put all of the elements I love together?

Step 1: Prepare your pieces with gesso. When gesso dries, use an adhesive and sprinkle glitter onto the plate.

Hi everyone! I've gotten the crown itch again and this is one I've been wanting to do for what seems like forever. My heart has always been drawn to the sea. I always feel rejuvenated and at peace when I set on the sandy beach and stare out at the horizon. This crown is the result of my combine respect and appreciate for what the ocean gives us and the power it wields. It is full of life and just has it harbors it, it can easily take it away. It has the power to render things from the small and insignificant to the mighty and regal, aged and fragile.

Here's a brief tutorial on how I put this Crown of the Ocean together. Because this piece never had a completed vision in my mind's eye, I do not have proper stepped out photos. This was totally a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of project. All I knew when I started was that I wanted it to be a sea theme.

Step 1: Paint your crown base with acrylic paints, both matte and metallic. Once it dries, get the oxidized effect using any number of patina-creating kits out there. After the patina fully cures and dries, apply gold leafing randomly all over the crown. Dress it up with some dresden trim that has been treated with patina. Finally, glue ball chain around the crown.

Step 2: Paint your fancy shells using white gesso. Apply a coat of opalescent paint in the center of the shells. Use gold acrylic paint to dress up the outside edges and bring out that shine with a high impact metallic glaze. I used Tattered Angels High Impact paint in "Antique Gold". Use a paintbrush and spread some resin on the inside of the shell and sprinkle some microbeads and add a pearl. The resin seals in the beads but it also looks like water.

Step 3: Use the coral fans as embellishments! Dress them up with Iced Enamels "Carnelian" or any other corally color you have. You could even mix paints to achieve just the right orangey shade.

Step 4: Start attaching your pieces to the crown base. I started with the heavy shells first and then built around them. You also will want to use a very strong glue like E6000 or Goop. make use of those shells you found on your last trip to the beach! Keeping them au naturale adds a softening contrast against the glitzy gold and vibrant coral.

Step 5: Finish by attaching starfish. I left mine their natural color so that the color of the coral is tied in with the rest of the crown.

Oh man does it feel GREAT to be back! When the lovely Kristin of Retro Cafe Art Gallery decided to take some time away in order to prepare for the arrival of her gorgeous daughter, I thought it would be a good time to just relax, enjoy the down time and focus on other avenues such as school. Now that the shop is open, it's time to give this space here a little much needed TLC and what better way to start off on a new foot than sharing my HEART with all of you!

I'm always a sucker for shrines, shadow boxes, and niche boxes and this is one I've had in my stash for some time now. To sit down with the pieces and paint and just let the process take over was pure magic.

After seeing some beautiful Mexican folk art pieces by my fellow Art Sister, Kim Collister, I was inspired. I just let the vision in my mind flow through my hands but at the same time, I wanted to keep an element of traditional inspiration in the piece.

Step 2: Bust out that acrylic paint and sponge brush and go to town! I like the bumpy look so I dabbed the paint onto the heart rather than brush it on. You can also dab it onto your hands. I may or may not have done so myself.Step 3: Add more color and accent with some shading. Like splatters? Then splatter away! (Mine ended up getting covered up, but I'm okay with that.)Step 4: Glue everything together. If you are like me and use E6000 or Goop, don't forget to open a window. I think I may have gotten a wee bit loopy unintentionally huffing the Goop. I'm a sucker for beads and if you've seen my work, you'd already know this about me. Why should this piece be any different?

Step 5: More fine beading on the flames and tips. For the niche, add some glue and dump some microbeads into it. Why wait for that glue to dry? Bust out the Goop (and a fan!) and glue your charm in. Lovin' my dainty border? Take a length of seven of the small daisy chain dresden and cut that baby in half. Be sure to use super sharp scissors!

Step 6: Make a margarita, sit back, and just admire your creative process!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy not only my return to blogging but the re-opening of Retro Cafe Art Gallery. I'm sure I speak for the rest of my Art Sisters by saying we are thrilled to be BACK!

Can you believe we are already getting ready for Christmas? I know I can't. This year has just flown by! Today, I have a cute banner for you using the layered ornaments and snowflakes from Retro Cafe Art.

You would never believe how easy this banner was to put together! For real! And I'll bet money you have all of the supplies I used here already in your stash.

Some pretty Christmas themed scrapbook paper, embossing powder and a heat tool, some super awesome alphas, glitter, and Ice Resin is all you need!

Oh, and no worries if you don't have Ice Resin. You can use Diamond Glaze but you won't be able to fill the bezel wells. Trust me. It looks just as adorable without the resin.

I chose to use Ice Resin because (shhhhhh....don't say anything) the stuff scares me! YES! It scares me. But after doing this bad boy, it's not nearly as daunting as it was before.

Step 2: Use your embossing powder and heat tool to cover the snowflakes.

Step 3: Decorate each piece with beads and glue down the frames. Mix your Ice Resin according to the manufacturing directions. Sprinkle in some round beads or glitter and let it cure according to the instruction.

Step 4: Prepare your awesome alphas with some paint and for extra sparkle, add some glitter. Dump that stuff all over!

Step 5: Place your alphas inside the wells created by the frames and dump more resin to fill and cover the letters. I sprinkled some more microbeads to get a layered effect. It also helps to use the leftover resin and paintbrush and spread it all over the whole piece to seal it.

Attach the pieces to ribbon with hot glue and add some Bohemian Jewels to the ornaments' hanging holes.

This year is the first time I've ever worked with any of the Tombstones from Retro Cafe Art Gallery. You see, every year, Kristin hosts a Tombstone swap and every year, I've always watched from the sidelines, always a bit nervous to commit and play along.

Some of that apprehension was due to logistics in that I live overseas. I was always nervous that my submissions would arrive late or not at all. I was also worried about damage to them during the shipping process.

I also worried about my level of talent. I mean, I have seen most of the tombstones after they were altered and decorated and they were just mind-blowing. To throw my little creations into that kind of mix was daunting, to say the least.

Fast forward and here we are and it's 2016. I decided, "What the heck!" and decided to play along this year only it's not a swap. It's a challenge. And I'm not a regular participant. I'm a design team member. A much different perspective and the guise of participating under obligation is one heck of a motivator. After all, I can't be a spoil sport simply because I'm a scaredy cat right?

So there you have it. My 2016 Tombstones, all dressed right and purty for this Halloween shindig! Wanna know how I did it?

Step 1: Using the "Witch Hunt" digital collage, trace, cut and glue down your chosen designs to the tombstone. I used Mod Podge. If you don't plan on painting or inking the paper, you can seal it with a coat of Mod Podge over the top. I chose not to since I chalked my edges.

Step 2: Prep your embellishments with a coat of gesso. I do this so that when I paint them, the color holds true.

Step 3: Start embellishing your embellishments! I used paint and glitter over mine. The Finnabair Crackle Pasts gives my zombie arms a nice, scaly look. I dusted some dark brown mica powder into the crack and wiped clean with a baby wipe.

This one, I covered in glitter.

Step 4: Wind wire around a skinny skewer and clue your mini bats and pumpkins to them. Attach to the tombstone with hot glue.

Be sure to jump in on the fun in the Retro Cafe Art Gallery Community and order your 2016 Tombstones today! A $25 gift certificate to the Retro Cafe Art Gallery store is up for grabs with this year's challenge. Be sure to use #2016Tombstones in your entry post!

I just love shadow boxes and curio cabinets. They treasures stored inside, the mysteries, the stories, they commonality between each item it holds just gets my imagination flowing. I've only ever done one multi-cubicle shadow box before, I figured it's high time to do another!

This "Curious Curio" is just filled to the brim with the curious, the odd, and the weird. Everything just seemed to come together so easily.

It's super easy to put one together if you use the Keepsake Curio Shrine kit, Relics & Artifacts, and some found objects you most likely already have in your stash. Let's take a stroll through the curious and the odd and learn how I put this beautiful collection together.

Step 1: Prime your Curio pieces with some lovely VerDay paint and patina according to the package instructions. Don't be shy with it either! My beautiful color variation is the result of three coats, the last coat being applied with the previous coat still partially wet.

Step 2: Assemble your Curio once the VerDay has completely cured and dried. Once your adhesive has dried, start hacking into some really cool paper for you cubby backgrounds. I used a mix of Graphic 45's "Steampunk Debutante" and "Old Curiosity Shoppe".

Step 3: Add a strip of paper around the outside of the curio if you choose to cover the assembly notches. I like decorative edges so I "aged" some white Fleur Dresden trim with VerDay to finish it off. I used a chalk edger to make the very deliberate "lines" on the paper and age it a bit.

Step 6: Let's add another Trinket shrine, a head with a mind's eye! I painted my Head Trinket shrine with some more Art Alchemy paint and dressed him up with more micro beads. I toned down the beautiful vivid green with a chalk edger.

Step 7: Let's add some body parts but without the "eew" factor. The "Milagros" set of Relics & Artifacts are PERFECT for this curio. Now some of the best results happen because of happy accidents and this is one of them. To get that cracked, pivoted, aged porcelain look, apply a REALLY thick coat of Crackle Accents and let it set overnight. The result will be nice crackling along the edges but a shiny and "clean" surface on the main areas.

To get the pivots, I used a pair of pliers and actually hit the pieces directly. Be careful and don't beat them but don't be gentle and tap them either. Once you think you've done enough damage, brush over the cracks with Artisan Powder and wipe the piece down with a dry napkin.Step 8: The "Treasure" cut-out that serves as my title uses a technique I learned from the amazing and lovely, Linda Cain. I have ALWAYS adored how she does her paint work and blending. She shared her secret with me and I could not believe how simple it was. She paints the piece with one color. Once dry, she does the edges with a second color using a sponge! Brilliant right?! I need more practice but I still love how mine turned out.

Summer is in full swing and I am feeling all things "Under the Sea"! These stand up crabs from Retro Cafe Art are just the cutest things!
Using some items you probably have in your stash already makes dressing these up super easy.

I've had these Prima light bulbs forever just waiting for the perfect project to use them on.

Some VerDay paint makes these crabs look aged and refined. I used iron, copper, and brass.

Put those seed beads to use as the perfect accent for highlights or giving the sea corals a look of bubbly perfection. For the posts, add Finnabair's micro beads for texture.

It seems that Spring is in full swing and Summer is hot on its heels. Here in Okinawa, that means we are in rainy season as well as the early part of typhoon season. It's been rather dreary lately so I needed a burst of "Spring Meets Summer" sunshine in my life. Cue my "Springy Summer" Santos doll complete with an ATC birdcage bottom.

She is just so peaceful and serene. Just looking at her makes me smile and just savor the moment.

Her not-so-gilded cage holds what I think to be hope for a bright and full bloom sunshiny season.

And because I'm a sucker for details, we can't leave out her vivid body and it's adornments.

How did I put her together? It's actually quite easy and I use techniques and products you probably already have in your stash!

Step 1:
Find some lush paper you just can't get enough of. Trace the outline of her rather svelte torso. Cut and adhere using gel medium. Don't have gel medium? No problemo! Bust out that glue stick or tape runner and get to stickin'.

Tip: If you use a digital collage like I used from Tumble Fish Studio and printed it out using an inkjet printer, spray a fixative over the top before applying the gel.

Step 2:
Grab yourself the beautiful "Wings" collage sheet from Retro Cafe Art. Adjust the size of the wings using editing software. Simply cut, paste and apply some sparkly goodness to make them shine. I used some Stickles on mine.

Step 3:
Let's give this li'l mama a face! I find the best mould for these types of faces is by Sculpey. It's the "Art Doll" mould. Squish some polymer clay into the mould and pop it out once you're satisfied with the shape. Bake your clay castings on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper in a preheated oven at 275*F. Typical baking time is 15 minutes per 1/4" thickness. Once your clay has cooled completely, mix together some acrylic paint to achieve your desired flesh tone. Set aside to dry completely.

Tip: No parchment paper? No problem! Just cover your cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Also, her headpiece in the finished photo is cut from the "Valentine's Day Patterns" collage sheet.

Step 4:
Let's get busy on this cage! Dig through your stash and pull out those ancient embossing powders because they are going to get a workout today! I used powders by Piccolo because I love the depth of color they have but you can use whatever your heart desires. Apply and emboss just like you used to do back when heat embossing was cool.

Step 5:
Once your pieces have cooled, glue the doll to the top of the cage and attach the hanging chain for the flower piece using hot glue. Cut a piece from the Black Scroll dresden trim. Remove any undesired pieces so that your scrolly piece fits nicely at the doll's waist.

While you're at it, spray some of the Mini Scalloped dresden trim bright yellow. Let it dry to the touch and glue it onto the top of the cage. You can glue it all the way around if you choose but it might make assembly of the cage a little difficult. For this step, I only glued the front border.

Step 6:
Now it's time to work some magic. Grab the pieces of the cage and apply Verday paint according to the instructions on the paint. Since I wanted a two-tone look on the door of the cage, I taped off the center design so that it wouldn't be affected by the iron paint. Once the iron paint had oxidized, I went ahead and used brass on the inside.

Tip: I tried a little experiment to see if the oxidation process would be affected if I used a heat gun. The answer to that is a resound, "YES!" It not only hampers the process; it completely nullifies it. Let the patina spray do its magic, which means you have to have some patience and about 4 hours of time. Since I did a two-step process, total curing time was about 8 hours.

Step 7:
Just look at all of that patina goodness! Patience really does pay off when using this paint. Now it's time to glue together the pieces of the cage. For this step, you want to use a really strong adhesive. I busted out my "mama means business" glue, E6000.

Step 8:
I hope you left your glue gun plugged in. To apply the mossy floor, just squirt that glue all over the bottom and press the moss directly into it. Remove any glue strings and watch your fingers.

Tip: When gluing the moss, be mindful of the cage door that needs to close. Don't apply the moss all the way to the front edge of the cage. I'm not saying that *I* made that mistake, though there is a very strong possibility I *might* have. ::sheepish grin::

Step 9:
Dig through your stash or just go ahead and pull the trigger on the "Flora" Relics & Artfacts® set you've had in your Retro Cafe Art cart for ages now. Lay down a coat of gesso and let it dry. Once it's dry, apply a coat of whatever color you choose. I went for a tone on tone look to get some depth on the flower. That Royal Red metallique paint looks simply lush against red acrylic paint. Just sayin'.

Tip: Use Inka Gold paint in Lava Red for added pop on the edges of the flower.

Step 10:
Attache a good sized jump ring and hang your flower from the chain. Glue butterfly to the flower if you decided to add one like I did in the finished photos.

Step 11:
Doodle away! I doodled on the door of the cage, the scrolly piece on the doll's waist, and the doll's wings.

And there you have it! It seemed complicated right? But it's not. It's mostly a lot of "paint drying" time but the patience totally pays off in the end.

The magical, enchanted and mystical world of fairy tales is one that is always nostalgic and wondrous. I decided to create my own piece of magic using the Castle Antiquity Shrine from Retro Cafe Art.
Magical right? This shrine houses a Coat in Arms all dressed up in my favorite paint system ever, VerDay. The shield is part of the Mythos set of Relics & Artifacts. To give the shield that regal "coat of arms" look add a battle axe and sword from the Medieval Weaponry chipboard set.

For the Griffins standing guard, break out that ol' heat tool and those embossing powders you keep stashed away and put them to work!

Some beautiful ball chains or chain from old necklaces add a nice medieval inspired touch. Just be sure to adhere them with a good, strong adhesive like E6000. For our evil and menacing dragon, get out that heat tool and embossing powder again. It really is that simple.

I love bringing the magic of fairy tales to life in my own way. Why not reach into your imagination and bring some magic to life?

Oh man! Summer is right around the corner. The temperatures are rising. Days are getting longer. Margaritas and pina coladas are flowing. It's time to don the brights, let loose, and parrrrrtay!
Aaaaaah. It's so colorful and whimsical. And yes! It's made from an embroidery hoop. This makes me want to whip up a Rum Runner or a Mai Tai. OR WHY NOT BOTH?

All I did was slap some black and white gesso onto the hoop. The weaving is actually very easy to do and it's even more fresh with color variety. The easiest thing I have found to do the weaving with is hemp cording. It's also best to do it sober as well.

Now just look at that Flora piece! That is from the "Flora" set by Relics & Artifacts. Sometimes the best thing to do is just leave things as is. Which I didn't do! I added some black and white striping and some of the coolest flower beads. Just pile glue in and cram 'em in!

Hello everyone! Spring has sprung! ::insert Beavis laugh:: My post is full of whimsical awesomeness.Just look at all of that springy color! Makes me all giddy and bubbly inside. You know what else makes me giddy? How easy it was to put together! Now it's important to tell you that I got all sorts of caught up in my mojo groove and forgot to take step out photos. Talk about horse blinders!
Start out with your Ornate Flourish ATC Shrine Kit. That would be the beautiful "Bohemian Bazaar" collection from Graphic 45. It cover the shrine inside and out, just cut from the papers and fussy cut the designs. Adhere with your handy dandy pop dots for insta-dimension.
Cover unsightly and unfinished edges with some fancy and purty dresden trim!
Spice up the flourishes with a simple and BASIC TECHNIQUE!! Heat embossing, yo! I used a live green embossing powder for my flourishes. As for the fairies, I don't know about you, but I suuuuuck at painting human features so I always go with a silhouette. I busted out some chalker ink pads and more embossing powders and went to town!
Who doesn't love finishing details? I snagged one of the treasure chests and cotton spun 'shrooms and made some magic. Glue a bit of moss down and stuff your box! Glitter your pedestal with some fierceness and call it done!